markj99

Visited 06.09.26

Sheuchan Hill Cairn is located on the summit of Sheuchan Hill, c. 2 miles NNE of Castle Kennedy in Dumfries and Galloway. The ruined cairn was on the margin of a belt of trees which have been harvested. The summit of Sheuchan Hill is covered in tussocks of 3 feet high marsh grass and reeds making walking difficult and locating ground features almost impossible. On reaching the recorded grid reference, I found no visible signs of the “ring of cairn material about 3m thick and 0.4m in maximum height” described in trove.scot 61721.

Visited 31.08.26

Chlenry Cairn Cemetery is located c. 1 mile NE of Castle Kennedy, a small village in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies c. 220m SSE of Chlenry Cottages in a flat arable field.

Chlenry Cairn Cemetery was found by analysis of aerial photographs taken in 1978. These images are viewable in trove.scot 61703. Cropmarks delineate a line of 4 circular marks running c. ENE-WSW. trove.scot 61703 lists the site as Balnab, a name no longer in use, so I used the alternative name Chlenry as this is in current usage. It estimates the largest ring to measure 10m in diameter with an entrance in the SE arc.

On my visit to the newly harvested field I failed to observe any traces of the cairn cemetery in the stubble: centuries of farming have reduced this site to sub-surface features.

Visited 30.08.

Doon Hill (Kildonnan) Enclosure is an earthwork located on the summit of Doon Hill c. 350m NNW of Kildonnan Farm on the B7042 between Sandhead and Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway. The rectangular grassy mound measures c. 20m E-W by 17.5m N-S. It is protected by an earth rampart and outer ditch. The highest remains of the rampart are c. 1.5m high in the SE corner. There is an entrance in the centre of the E Rampart. trove.scot/place/60597 estimates the internal dimensions of the enclosure to be 14m E-W and 12m transversely. Additionally, it dates the enclosure to the Iron Age.

Visited 22.08.26

Cults Loch Settlement is located c. 1 mile NE of Castle Kennedy, a small village in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies c. 100m E of the E bank of Cults Loch in a flat arable field.

Cults Loch Settlement was found by analysis of aerial photographs taken in 1978. These images are viewable in trove.scot 61704. Cropmarks delineate a circular enclosure protected by a double palisade and outer ditch. trove.scot estimates the enclosed settlement to measure up to 40m in diameter.

Archaeological excavations carried out in 2009 and 2011 are detailed in trove.scot 61704. Unearthed artifacts date the settlement to the Iron Age. The archeologists stated that the “site comprised a single enclosure ditch and double palisade, within which were two successive ring-groove houses, a souterrain and a range of other pits and pothole features.”

On my visit to the grass field I failed to observe obvious traces of the palisades and ditch: I found a flat featureless rough grass surface except for a possible low discoloured bank measuring c. 5m E-W and 2m N-S. This may correspond to the proposed souterrain in the N half of the enclosure.

Visited 19.08.26

On a recent visit to Cults Loch, located c. 1 mile NE of Castle Kennedy, I observed that the omnipresent Beef Cattle occupying the field on the W bank of Cults Loch had been moved elsewhere. I took the opportunity to get a better view of Cults Loch Central Crannog from the W bank. I also explored the remains of an Iron Age Fort on a grassy mound on the W margin of Cults Loch. It is sited on a natural grassy mound wedged between a marsh and Cults Loch.

Cults Loch Promontory Fort was first identified by analysis of aerial photographs taken in 1978. There are viewable on trove.scot 61697. Cropmarks clearly show a ditch on the S edge of the promontory. trove.scot gives a full description of the fort and its defences. it also includes details of archaeological digs in 2009 and 2010 which found evidence of an inner ditch c. 5m wide and 3m deep supplemented by an outer ditch measuring c. 5.5 m wide and 2m deep. Excavation of the interior of the fort, which measures c. 85m N-S and 65m E-W, revealed “pits, postholes and linear gullies.” The only surface feature that I could find was a subcircular hollow on the N flank measuring c. 2m in diameter and 0.5m deep.

Visited 19.08.26

On a recent visit to Cults Loch, located c. 1 mile NE of Castle Kennedy, I observed that the omnipresent Beef Cattle occupying the field on the W bank of Cults Loch had been moved elsewhere. I took the opportunity to get a better view of Cults Loch Central Crannog from the W bank. I also explored the remains of an Iron Age Fort on a grassy mound on the W margin of Cults Loch. It is sited on a natural grassy mound wedged between a marsh and Cults Loch.